COMING HOME
by rider fleetfoot
Summary: Briar, Sandry, Tris and Daja are returning from Namorn. set after will of the empress. mainly from sandry and Briars point of view. their journey with some SandryBriar and also all the mischief these four can get up to
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 coming home

Sandry/Briar also includes Tris and Daja. Set after the will of the empress. Briar, Sandry, Daja and Tris experience some changes in their lives and what they get up to back at Summersea.

Sandrilene Fa Toren, great niece of Duke Verdis IV ruler of Emelan, rode in silence alongside her foster sisters Daja and Tris and her foster brother Briar lost deep in thought. She had tied her hair underneath a sheer grey veil to keep it out of her face as a brisk wind wipped about them playfully tugging at anything that was loose. Her cornflower blue eyes snapped beneath a small furrowed brow. In a lesser bred person the look on her face would have been a scowl.

_I hate being treated like a doll! How can they expect anyone with a brain to appreciate that sort of attention._

2 days out of Summersea the group had met up with Duke Verdis who was visiting a local province. His servants had not let Sandry escape there gaze or gossip, especially that about the impropriety of travelling with only one maid who could not be counted as a chaperone.

'_Something's got Sandry all knotted up' _Briar said to Tris and Daja trying to sound casual.

'_Hmph' _replied Tris who's nose was buried in a book as it had been all morning.

Daja didn't reply as she was deep in conversation with Duke Verdis about a particularly intricate copper inlay shed seen at the house in which they'd stayed last night. Briar could tell that she was itching to pick up her tools and start working in the forge again.

'_The servants wouldn't leave her be this morning' _came Tris's reply although she barely even lifted her nose from the pages.

'_Im surprised she didn't roll them up in cocoons' _both Briar and Tris had heard about Sandrys reaction when she had not been allowed to see the Duke after his heart attack.

Tris chuckled at this and looked across to Briar as the grin left her face.

'_You know she takes his graces opinions seriously, and she's supposed to have servants.'_

'_But she has Gudruny' _Briar said puzzled

'_At her standing she should have more, they were just trying to do things properly, but she hates being treated like that'_

'_Who Wouldn't?'_

Tris shrugged and went back to her book.

Briar returned back to staring at Sandry a worried look still on his face. He worried about her ever since they left Namorn she hadn't been sleeping well and kept waking up with nightmares. Who could blame her after all she went through at the hands of Shan and Fin. It was enough to make his blood boil thinking about it.

Sandry glanced up and saw that Briar was looking at her. She gave him a weak smile.

'Im alright Briar just being silly is all.' Sandry sighed _'at least I won't have to put up with this when I'm married. The servants won't watch my every move commenting on my consequence and virtue.' _Then a strange look crossed her face and a wry smile appeared

'_Ill have a husband to do that instead.'_

Till Sandry had said about marriage and a husband Brair had felt better. He hadn't thought so much about those two things till this summer at Namorn. Of course he'd been involved with girls, in fact he'd tried to keep one in his bed most nights to stop him from having nightmares about gyongxe. But that was until this summer and there circle reforged. When the empress tried to force Sandry to marry he hadn't been thinking about himself, well not really, only about the fact that no one should be put in that position. _Especially not Sandry _Briar thought to himself _she's too independent and Berenene had not respected that. Well she got what she deserved. _A grin flashed across his face only to be replaced by his own scowl. Shakily Briar reached out his magic to stroke his shakkan. He always got angry whenever he thought about the Namornese treatment of Sandry as a trophy to be won and put on display. They didn't appreciate her for her kindness, willingness to listen to anybodies problems or the gentle patience she showed her occasionally unruly student Pasco. The empress of course had then tried to stop the four from leaving Namorn, she had not succeeded. _The will of the empress is strong but our stubbornness is stronger. Especially those girls, when they get something in there head there's no stopping them. _Briar chuckled as he felt his shakkan's calm wash over him. Sure his foster sisters could be stubborn, but he knew not to cross them.

A quick glance at Sandry showed that she was looking much happier, the morning gloom cast aside. She was joining in the animated conversation of Daja and her uncle. The smile on her face gave her eyes a twinkle that could melt your heart. The grey veil that covered her sun streaked light brown hair bound underneath it could not diminish her beauty. She had grown over the summer and emerged as a full grown woman ready to face the world, and it hadn't gone unnoticed from any of the men in the company, not even Briar.


	2. Chapter 2

i dont own anything it all belongs to Tamora Pierce

Chapter 2: market day

* * *

The company decided to spend the night with duke verdis in an inn in the town of Saret. The duke was to visit with the towns major the next day before proceeding onto Summersea the day after. Though all 4 wanted to reach Summersea they felty better riding in the large group, all still slightly shaken from Namorn.

Daja awoke as the sun streaked through her window, she absently rubbed her hand and the living metal that covered it. She washed her face and pulled on her fresh tunic and breeches before descending the stairs into the common room. Tris soon followed suit wearing a dark blue cotton dress, and gave Daja a smile before helping herself to some porridge.

Briar sauntered in from outside, dirt already streaked his arms though none stayed on his clothes thanks to Sandry. He had already been out in the garden talking to the plants. After washing up Briar reappeared and plonked himself on a chair.

'So what you up to today,' Briar asked giving Daja a wide grin as she pushed the porridge towards him.

'I thought maybe we could go to the market in Saret, it would be a change to riding all day, and I need more thread.' Sandry had just appeared in the doorway. Her hair was tied back in a braid and she looked more rested.

_Being with the Duke must be doing her good_. Briar said to Tris and Daja who voiced there agreement.

'How'd you escape this morning?' Briar asked referring to the over attentous maids.

'I think Tris could put a whirlwind in there and they wouldn't wake.'

'I say the market sounds good and at least we won't have the servants after US either,' Daja replied.

Tris shrugged, she scared the maids so they didn't bother her anyway. 'the weather will be good today and it beats sitting inside.'

'Not that you'd mind shopping in a storm hey coppercurls'' Briar quipped.

Tris pulled a face at Briar, who merely grinned wolfishly back. Daja and Sandry grinned at each other. This is what they had missed before they had reforged there circle.

* * *

2 hours later they left the inn and followed the main rode towards the market. It wasn't hard to locate the market, many more people flooded the streets all moving in the same direction.

Before long the market came into view. For a small town the market was huge, covering the entire southern quarter. The size was matched by variety as many sellers stoped here on the main road to the North from the port of Summersea.

Tris immediately dived into the nearest bookshop and began to rifle through the boxes of books, pausing to pull out a volume every now and again.

Daja wandered towards a srtall selling small wooden figures, carefully studying the intricate carving.

* * *

Sandry and Briar carried on walking, each engrossed in their own thoughts.

_Its so nice to just be ourselves again like we were before everyone went away. Except were all different now. Tris hides her talents from everyone but us, Daja mourns over bringing a murderer to justice. Briar has seen things no one should have to see, and me...well I guess I'm just older. And thinking all manner of things I shouldn't about people I have no right to fell like this about! Quipped another side of herself._

'_Hmph'_she thought and looked over at Briar.

_He's my foster-brother! _But it wasn't her brother that made her get goosebumps when he looked at her or her knees turn to jelly when he smiled.

Briar was also thinking about the four of them, but not about how they'd all changed. Instead he worried what would happen if Sandry found out how he felt and if it could break there circle again.

_I can't loose the girls again. Their the only family I've got. If I ignore these feelings they'll probably go away, I mean it's just a stupid crush………….isn't it_

But as they walked along Briar started to tense up. They were close enough that if he lifted his hand it would brush against Sandry's.

'Oh look there's a fabric stand,' Sandry pointed across the road and veered towards the stall. She looked very much like Tris did at the book stall, except Sandry started cooing to the thread and cloth as she picked it up.

Briar clenched and unclenched his hand, they had been so close!

* * *

Instead of following this treacherous line of thought Briar decided that he should go calm down by seeing some plants. He thrust out his magic and felt a vine nearby that was been suffocated by a fungus. He fixed his jaw and jogged in the direction of the vine. He soon spotted the vine and walked upto it.

'gosh it's got you good mate,' Briar gently stretched towards the vine and began to burn off the fungus. When he'd finished he let out a gasp of pain. The vine in it's rush to embrace him had bitten deep into his arm. Slowly he managed to get the vine to release him and stepped out of it's hold.

'fine way to thank me I'll say.'

He glanced down at his arm which was bleeding through his tunic, the tears had already rewoven themselves. _Best get back to the girls and get this cleaned up._

* * *

Sandry turned round after purchasing several spools of thread and some cloth for embroidery. Tris and Daja both had some purchases aswell and were queuing at a nearby food vendor's stall. Sandry wandered over to them in time to order a turnover for herself and an extra one for Briar, who was always hungry.

'Where has that boy got to,' she joked, but the smile didn't reach her worried eyes. _He always finds trouble._

'Here he comes,' Daja pointed to Briar as he wound his way back through the crowds towards the girls.

'You ladies nearly finished shopping yourselves to death, I need to get my mages kit, I left it back at the inn.'

'Whatever do you need your kit for?' Tris asked.

'Vine got over friendly whilst I was healing it,' he replied and lifted his sleeve back so the girls could see.

'Briar! Here let me bandage it for you.' Sandry said, worry clear in her voice.

Daja unstopped her water bottle and poured some water over Briars arm to clean away the blood.

Sandry reached out gently and took Briars arm, she ordered his tunic to reform into a bandage and a short sleeve, and bound the wound tight.

'I'm not a bleater Sandry, I'll survive till we get back,' he answered but made no move to withdraw the arm from her grasp. Instead he watched as she bound the gashes in his arm with small amounts of shooing of the cloth.

Sandry still held Briars arm and didn't seem to notice that she'd finished.

'Erm are you gonna give Briar his arm back San, I don't think its gonna fall off.'

'Sorry Briar' se gasped and dropped his arm like it was a hot coal.

'Come on we'd better get back, Briar will want to put some of his foul smelling goo on that,' Daja teased.

Briar pulled a face at her, 'that goo is only the best healing salve you'll find, thankyou very much.'

They walked back towards the inn.

'_What was that about?' _Daja asked Tris

'_I think we should keep an eye on them, something's up.'_

* * *

_please review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! _


	3. Chapter 3

Nightmares

Back in summersea

'_Why's it dark!' Sandry tried to scream, as the darkness closed around her but no sound came out. She clawed at the darkness, her hands hitting stone on all four sides, above her head and beneath her. 'Trapped!' she flung her magic out, it hit the stone and bounced back. She kicked and hit stone again as tears rolled down her face. She was alone and trapped in the dark._

Sandry awoke with a start breathing heavily. A steady light filled the room and she reached toward it. It was only than that she realised she was no longer in bed. Her sheets had wound around her, suspending her over the side of her bed, preventing her from falling. She took hold of her night light and let its steady glow bathe her in calm as she slowed her breathing.

She untangled herself from the sheets, thanking the threads as she straightened them. Standing up, the crystal still tightly clutched in her hands, Sandry pulled on a light cotton dress in place of her sweat soaked night dress and washed her face.

Feeling better she reached out tentatively with her magic. Relief flooded her as she felt her foster siblings. Daja was asleep in the forge at winding circle. She had gone to help Frostpine work on a difficult order. Tris was up in the astronomy tower, no doubt listening to the wind.

'_Briar?_' she called, her voice still quivered slightly.

_Briar stood on a plain. Rosethorn, Evy, Daja and Tris sat a little way off chatting contently. 'Where's Sandry?' as if in response to his question a plume of smoke rose on the horizon. Briar jogged towards it, 'Sandry?' _

'_Briar?' her voice shook with fear as it rolled down her magic tie to him._

_Briar began to run as fast as possible. A gate in a wall loomed up before him, running through Briar stopped dead. _

_He was back in Gyongxe, the dead laid everywhere. _

'_Sandry!' he yelled, his eyes searching the ground before him. Then he spotted her, l laying among soldiers a pool of blood around her._

'_No!' He picked her up and brushed her hair out of her eyes. Her breath was shallow and rugged, her eyes glassy._

'_You can't die Sandry,' he whispered to her, 'I……I love you.'_

'_Briar?' _Briar awoke with a start.

'Briar?' Sandry called again as she stepped quietly around Gudrunny, who was snoring at the foot of her bed. She slipped out of her room and trotted down the hall towards Briars room.

'Briar!' Sandry called outside his room.

Briar opened the door and looked upon Sandry. Her entrancing blue eyes gazed at him in concern. Her hair was loose and cascaded don her back, glimmering in he light of the crystal he, Daja and Tris had made for her.

Sandry stared at Briar, lost in his emerald eyes.

'Is everything ok?' She stammered as her gaze shifted from her eyes. Briar stood onlt in a pair of breeches he'd thrown on quickly. Sandry blushed a deep red, and thanking the darkness, quickly moved the crystal slightly to put her face in shadow.

'Just a nightmare,' Briar said, as he saw her gaze shift. _Was that a blush on her face?_ Briar followed her gaze and noticed why. That made HIS face go slightly red. Briar was suddenly very thankful that he kept in good shape, he'd never had any complaints about his body.

Sandry was fighting an internal battle. She longed to reach out to touch his finely toned torso but she dared not. Instead she shifted nervously and a lock of hair fell across her face.

'What are you doing up?' Briar asked his fingers itching to brush the hair from her face.

'Nightmares too,' she sighed. If she didn't move soon she could stay here forever.

'Maybe we should go see Tris in the tower, might make us feel better?'

'Good idea, outside is definitely better.'

'_Mind if we pay you a visit coppercurls?'_

'_Suppose I don't have much choice do I! What are you two doing up anyway?' S_he asked, suspiciously.

'_Nightmares,' _they chimed together, and grinned at each other.

Briars discipline not being as good as Sandry's finally broke. He reached out a hand and gently brushed the hair behind her ear.

Sandry dared not breathe for fear she would explode and her knees threatened to give way.

'_Well are you coming or not!'_


End file.
